When Jamie Kah elected to ride in Adelaide on Saturday, trainer Gary Portelli wasted no time in recommending Cejay Graham to Kintyre’s many owners as a worthy replacement jockey in the Gr 2 Queensland Guineas. Kah was Kintyre’s rider in the Gr 3 Frank Packer Plate at Randwick on April 20th when he was beaten narrowly by Gold Bullion, but later awarded the race on protest.
“I’ve been watching Cejay’s progress in Brisbane ever since she won a race for me on Space Boy at Doomben last August,” said the multiple Gr 1 winning trainer. “She’s smart at the barrier, puts them in the right spot and lacks nothing in a tight finish. Not all owners are prepared to use a claiming apprentice in a Gr 2 race, but the syndicate gave me full support. Cejay repaid that support with a ten out of ten ride.”
Cejay's getting close to 300 career wins. The Kelly Schweida stable got her up and running in Brisbane last year - courtesy Bradley Photographer.
This time last year Cejay was making regular trips to Brisbane from her home base at Port Macquarie. The winners were infrequent at first but her obvious talents and a 3kg city claim soon attracted the attention of trainers. Already feeling the effects of the constant travelling, Cejay didn’t need much prompting to relocate to Brisbane when offered a position by Kelly Schweida. She rode a flurry of winners towards the end of the 2022/2023 season and hasn’t stopped riding winners this term. By the close of play at Eagle Farm on Saturday, the pocket sized dynamo had 69 wins and a whopping 116 placings on her 2023/2024 score card. Another winner followed at Caloundra on Sunday.
Aided by an inside gate in the Queensland Guineas, Cejay had Kintyre away like a flash - so quickly in fact that she looked likely to be left in front. She was relieved when Captain Fenkel finally strode to the lead, and equally relieved when Razors moved to second spot giving Kintrye the “sweet seat”. When Vlad Duric allowed Captain Fenkel to drift wide on straightening, Cejay was happy to move through on his inside. Kintyre grabbed the lead at the 100m with Godolphin’s Razors threatening danger. Kintyre hit the line generously for his young jockey to make it consecutive stakes wins in two weeks. Press Link (third) and Chica Mojito (fourth) were both seen to advantage.
Cejay Graham is closing in on 300 wins in just seven years of race riding, but the Queensland Guineas triumph was her first at Group level. Cejay, a daughter of northern NSW riding legend Peter Graham was a little slow to announce her intention of becoming a jockey, but once the call was made there was no holding her back. She became apprenticed to Port Macquarie trainer John Sprague who remains one of her most avid fans. Peter Graham rode work alongside his daughter for close to two years before allowing her to ride in races.
Aided by a copybook Cejay Graham ride Kintyre prevailed narrowly in the historic Queensland Guineas - courtesy Trackside Photography.
She was an immediate success on northern rivers tracks and news of her natural talent soon reached the ears of astute Randwick trainer Peter Snowden who offered her a position on his Randwick staff. Cejay would spend a very happy eighteen months in Sydney during which time a number of trainers contributed to her fifty wins. Her first city win came on Military Magic for Team Snowden at a Canterbury night meeting. She made it a double later in the night with a win on the Richard Litt trained Handfast. She was chuffed to win her first race at historic Randwick on the Matt Dale trained Man of Peace.
Cejay rates the Les Bridge trained Madame Legend as the best horse she rode during her Sydney sojourn. She had six rides on the daughter of I Am Invincible for four wins and two placings. One of those wins was on the Kensington track. A little later she was thrilled to win on Accountability at Rosehill for the Waller stable. Little did Cejay realise during those happy times, that the ever fickle lady luck was about to abandon her. In January 2021 the amiable lightweight jockey crashed to the ground when a horse called Cotton Caper put on a rodeo exhibition on its way to the gates at Lismore. A complicated wrist fracture put her on the sidelines for an exasperating twelve months.
Cejay says Madam Legend was the best horse she rode during her 18 months stay in Sydney - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
She resumed in the last few weeks of 2021 and picked up where she’d left off, riding winners left, right and centre. Cejay had been back in action for just under four months when the unthinkable happened on the Matt Dunn trained Emma Rosa in a race at Grafton. This time it was the other wrist - not as bad as the previous one but bad enough to keep her out of the saddle for another ten months. Twenty two out of twenty six months on the sidelines was almost a life sentence for a young jockey who thought of nothing else other than riding racehorses. It’s fair to say she’s making up for it, at the rate of knots.
Eight time Gr 1 winning trainer Gary Portelli flew to Brisbane on Saturday morning to watch one of his favourite horses do battle in a race with a history dating back to 1896. With Kintyre’s run of bad barriers last spring fresh in his mind, Gary simply told Cejay not to waste the gelding’s favourable draw. “I was sure he’d be in the first three or four and knew he wouldn’t stop trying when the chips were down,” said the trainer. “He’s a very genuine horse these days but that wasn’t always the case. As he lined up for his very first two year old trial in late 2022 he tried to jump into the adjoining stall with obvious romantic intentions towards the colt next door. He was away with the pixies in his first three starts, and we knew we had little option but to geld him. Miraculously he won his maiden at Newcastle as a colt, but had a visit from the vet a few days later. The transformation has been remarkable.”
Kintyre’s spring campaign last year embraced eight runs for just one win in a BM72 at Rosehill, but he finished close up in several stakes races. Poor barriers impeded his chances on several occasions. Aided by better luck in the barrier draw this campaign, the gelding has been racing with great consistency. In six starts he’s won at Gr 2 and Gr 3 level with third placings in the Gr 2 Phar Lap Stakes and the Gr 3 Carbine Club Stakes. In finishing fourth in the Gr 2 Tulloch Stakes he was only 1.4 lengths from the winner Wymark. He’s been racing with great zest right through the campaign, and thoroughly deserves his stakes double, albeit with one of those wins on protest. In his defense it should be said that he was beaten only a whisker by Gold Bullion in the Packer Plate after bouncing off the running rail a couple of times in the last fifty metres.
Kintyre literally "scraped paint" in the closing stages of the Frank Packer Plate. He was awarded the race in the steward's room - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“Kintyre left only a handful of feed on Saturday night and was bouncing around next morning as though he hadn’t been around,” said Gary Portelli. “I’m not convinced he’s a genuine stayer and a Derby start is unlikely at this stage. All being well we’ll run him in the 2000m Rough Habit Plate next Saturday week and make a decision after that. He’ll be nominated for the Doomben Cup which is also over 2000m on May 25th. Jamie Kah will have first call in the Rough Habit, but if unavailable Cejay will go back on.”
Gary Portelli will train Mull Over's 3rd foal - the $460,000 Pierata colt purchased by Laural Oak at the 2024 Inglis Easter Sale - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Laurel Oak’s founder and MD Louis Mihalyka is hard to keep away whenever one of the company’s horses contests an interstate black type race. His promise to attend a Sydney wedding on Saturday forced him to execute great skill in watching the live coverage of the Guineas - a quick visit to the Sky Racing App with the sound turned down. A frenzied flurry of fist pumps signified his delight while he showed deft footwork in grasping a complimentary champagne from the drinks tray between the ceremony and reception. A Gr 2 win obviously justified a refill while waiting for the bridal party to enter the room.
Louis has contributed greatly to the fairy tale stories generated by Kintyre and his celebrated half sister Fireburn. Both horses are the product of a long term plan he devised when Laurel Oak’s star sprinter Rebel Dane was retired to stud a few years ago. The veteran bloodstock agent put together a breeding syndicate with the purpose of purchasing a few not-too-expensive mares to help get the stallion started. Mull Over, dam of Kintyre and Fireburn was a $22,000 purchase from a Gold Coast broodmare sale. The daughter of So You Think came with a race record of just one win in eleven starts - a Newcastle maiden for Anthony Cummings and jockey Glyn Schofield.
Her pedigree page was a different thing altogether. Mull Over’s dam Zahani had failed to win in five starts, but just happened to be a daughter of the celebrated Zabeel. Her second dam Danarani, a daughter of Danehill had won four races including the Gr 1 Flight Stks. Fireburn and Kintyre are testimony to Louis Mihalyka’s faith in line breeding. Danehill appears twice in Fireburn’s pedigree, while Kintyre boasts a 4x4 cross to the influential broodmare Lady Giselle. The latter is the dam of Zabeel and the third dam of Kintyre’s sire Hallowed Crown. The subsequent deeds of Mull Over’s first two offspring bring great credit to the Mihalyka theory.
Louis Mihalyka's Laurel Oak Bloodstock has taken many owners to racing's biggest stage - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Not surprisingly Louis moved swiftly to have a new Laurel Oak syndicate formulated by the time Mull Over’s third foal was offered at this year’s Inglis Easter Sale. “It was a bit nerve wracking having to go to $460,000 but we were pretty determined to take him home,” said the veteran syndicator. “He presented beautifully and has a strong likeness to Fireburn and Kintyre.
“It wasn’t widely known that Mull Over had to undergo surgery on two occasions while carrying the foal. She had two severe bouts of colic which required urgent action from vets. A third episode wasn’t as serious and no surgery was required. Perhaps the Pierata colt has already shown us he’s a determined little bloke. Obviously, Gary Portelli will train the latest member of a family rapidly gaining celebrity status. Following all of her problems Mull Over missed to a very late cover by Rebel Dane, which may have been a blessing. She’s currently safely in foal to Rebel Dane, and it’s almost certain she’ll go to the all conquering Zoustar in the spring.”
In his four decades as a syndicator and bloodstock agent, Louis Mihalyka has applied himself with dedication, sound judgement and unbridled passion. I clearly recall an occasion at Sky Channel’s French’s Forest Studios many years ago when he was my guest on a recorded episode of the Inside Racing programme. I saw the tears well in his eyes when I commented on his obvious love of the job. “It’s a wonderful thrill to be in the winner’s room with a large group of owners following a win by a Laurel Oak horse,” said Louis. “To see the smiles on their faces gives me tremendous satisfaction. I hope we can put the Laurel Oak smile on many more faces in the years ahead.”
Cejay wore the Laurel Oak smile as she returned to scale on Kintyre - courtesy Trackside Photography.
(Banner. image - Kintyre out-toughed Razors to win the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas - courtesy Trackside Photography.)